Love is in the Air
by CLK
Summary: A quirky case, an unexpected alarm, and valentines day. This short story is part four of my season eleven
1. Chapters 1 thru 5

**This is the fourth in my season 11. You are now caught up on what I've done so far at other boards. There will be more episodes, but I've left this in a mostly happy place because it may be a while before real life allows me enough time to get to it.**

**The story stands on its own for the most part, but without having read the previous stories: Every Tom Dick or Crazy, Keep one eye on the road, and Rock a Bye Babies, you may be a little lost about a few characters.   
**

**Love is in the Air **

**Chapter 1**

**Headquarters London**

**Friday February 10, 2006**

"You have got to be kidding me?" Harm laughed out loud.

"I'm deadly serious, Harm. This nut is popping up out of bushes, from behind buildings, out from around parked cars. At first I thought it was harmless fun. You know, that time of year, love is in the air, and all that hullabaloo. But now I've got women wandering aimlessly back and forth around the base waiting for their turn. Harm, things have got to get back to normal soon, and if the press gets a hold of this..."

"Yeah, I know. Sort of gives a new meaning to 'a girl in every port'." Harm was still laughing. In all his years in the navy he had never heard of anything so ridiculous. "Bruce, you spent years with naval intelligence. What do you need me for?"

"I've tried everything. I'm out of ideas. Please? Do it for me. For old times' sake. For all the years I put up with you at the academy."

Harm hadn't seen Bruce Carmichael in close to ten years. He'd been transferred out of DC shortly after the Hemlock case. They hadn't exchanged so much as a Christmas card since then, and now he wanted Harm, the Force Judge Advocate, to sneak around Ruislip Air Base looking for a kissing bandit.

"I agree. If the press gets a hold of this, we'll be on the front page of every tabloid and the laughing stock of every other paper. Let me see what I can do," Harm assured his old friend.

Harm set the phone down in its cradle and considered the situation for a moment. This really was the sort of thing that should have been able to be handled on base without need for outside investigation. On the other hand, anything that interfered with good order and discipline in trying political times needed to be given serious attention.

Before he could hit his intercom, Beth had knocked and opened his door. "Gunnery Sergeant Galindez is here."

"You sent for me, sir?" Gunny announced.

Harm tilted his head around Gunny, raising one brow at Beth. "Yes, it does look that way doesn't it?" he mumbled.

"Excuse me, sir?"

"Nothing, at ease. We've got an unusual 'situation' at Ruislip. Apparently a lonely and confused sailor has taken it upon himself to satisfy every single female on base."

"Sir?" Gunny was rather confused. He'd already realized that his CO's earlier confusion was undoubtedly another moment of being caught off guard at Beth's precipitating his requests, but this time, the captain was making no sense.

"We have a Valentine's Day kissing bandit on the loose. Captain Carmichael has personally requested that JAG help him resolve this unfortunate dilemma."

Gunny had never been more thankful for all his years in the corps than he was right now. Swallowing the urge to burst out laughing was difficult, but not impossible.

"Are we sure it's a sailor, sir?" After all, the base had plenty of Marines as well as civilians.

"I don't think we're sure of anything, Gunny. I'd like for you to take a run over there this afternoon and see what you can uncover."

"Understood, sir."

"And, Gunny?

"Yes, sir?"

"Try and keep this under wraps. See if you can't find something else to pretend to dig into as a cover while you're there."

"Can do, sir. I'll get on it right away."

"Thanks, Gunny." Harm nodded a dismissal. Having Gunny snoop around would gather much less attention than if he were to suddenly show up on base asking questions. He heard the latch to his door click shut and shook his head laughing. "A kissing bandit." What was the navy coming to?

"You did it to him again, didn't you?" Gunny stopped at Beth's desk.

"Hmm?"

"You sent for me before he asked you to, didn't you?"

"Oh, yeah, maybe... I guess things were just so busy this morning I thought he'd already asked," she shrugged.

"You really have to stop doing that. It tends to spook people."

"You want to tell me something I don't know?" Beth chuckled quietly. Her previous CO was so oblivious to life and reality he never noticed anything she did, but Captain Rabb was cute the way he tried to hide being flustered whenever she'd forget to wait for him to ask for something.

"I have to go to Ruislip this afternoon, or do you already know that?" Gunny tried to hide his smile.

"Funny. The kissing bandit?"

Gunny nodded. "I need another reason to snoop around. Is there anything else going on over there?"

"As a matter of fact, Commander Manetti is defending a corporal accused of trying to smuggle a jeep."

"Smuggle a jeep?"

"He's been mailing it home in small pieces. I think it's pretty cut and dry, but maybe she has more for you."

"Thanks. This also means I won't be able to make it for dinner tonight." Gunny hadn't actually made specific arrangements with Beth for dinner, but ever since that day he'd managed to convince her his friendship had nothing to do with pity, it was just a given that they'd have dinner together after work.

"If you want, I could, I mean, if you don't think it would be too late, I mean, I'd understand if you'd rather not..."

Gunny stood waiting for her to spit out a coherent thought. He'd learned that if he just gave her a few minutes to get over her naturally introverted personality, she usually got her point across.

"If you think you can wait, I'd be happy to fix us something to eat and keep it warm for you." Beth let out a long sigh. She couldn't explain why inviting Gunny over to dinner had to be such a production for her. Despite how much they did together, none of it was ever at either of their apartments, and for some reason, she felt incredibly awkward inviting him.

Gunny swallowed hard. "I'd like that. Thank you."

**Rabb Flat**

**London**

"Oh, that is so cool." Mattie eyed the large photo frame.

"I still have a few more photos to choose, but I really want each photo to mean something."

"He's going to love this. Even without the photos, the frame is really cool." Mattie just loved the handmade silver frame. It was so English and yet so unique.

"I hope you're right. This is our first ever Valentine's day as a couple and I really want..."

"Oh, my God! That's right!" Mattie sprang up from the table. "I'll be right back," she called over her shoulder.

"What happened?"

"I just remembered I forgot to invite myself over to Mary's to spend the night Tuesday."

"Whoa, young lady."

Mattie froze in place.

"Tuesday is a school night."

"Maaaac. It's Valentine's Day. If you think I want to hang around here all night while the two of you try to pretend I'm not in the way... forget it."

"You are not in the way," Mac insisted.

"No, and roses are really blue. Come on, Mac. I promise, we'll do nothing but homework all night."

"I don't know..."

"If I can talk Harm into it will you agree?" Mattie crossed her fingers.

"Okay, if you can convince Harm."

"Great. I'll go talk to Mary." Mattie stepped around the doorway.

"I said you'll have to convince Harm," Mac repeated to Mattie's back.

"No problem. As soon as I bring up sex, he'll cave!"

Before Mac could do much more than laugh and shake her head, Mattie was back in her room and online with her friend.

**Chapter 2**

"Excuse me, ma'am."

"Come in, Gunny."

"Thank you. Petty Officer James mentioned you have a case over at Ruislip."

"That's right."

"Captain Rabb has given me an assignment at the base and I need an alternate reason for doing a little investigating."

"And my jeep wrangling client is just the subterfuge you need? Well it just so happens I'll be leaving for Ruislip shortly. If you'd like to join me..."

"Yes, ma'am. Thank you."

**Parking lot**

**RAF Ruislip **

"I honestly didn't think that sort of thing really happened anywhere outside an MGM musical," Tracy Manetti chuckled softly. "While I'm meeting with my client, you can conduct your investigation."

"Yes, ma'am." Gunny locked the car door and had just turned to catch up to the commander when he was startled to see a man running past him, full speed ahead.

"You don't think?" Tracy had barely had enough time to form the question when Gunny tore off after the possible offender. Glancing around the parking lot, she noticed a female ensign standing nearby, in the approximate direction the sprinting sailor had come from.

"Are you okay?" Tracy asked, drawing closer to the obviously stunned woman.

"Hmm?" The startled young lady turned towards the soft southern accent and immediately stiffened to attention, saluting her superior officer. "Excuse me, ma'am."

"At ease, Ensign. Tell me what happened."

"Nothing much, ma'am. I'd heard the stories, but I didn't think they were serious." A sly grin slowly spread across her face.

"Stories?" Tracy prompted.

"Well, I'd heard, but no one I knew had actually been, you know, kissed." The woman's face lit up again in an impossibly brighter smile.

"Did he hurt you?" Tracy continued.

"No, ma'am." The ensign raised her fingers to her lips. "I really should spend more time in parking lots..."

Tracy's eyes opened wide. "I'd like to ask you a few questions. Can you tell me what he looked like?"

The still stunned woman glanced off to the distance, shaking her head no.

"Did you notice his rank?" Tracy already knew he wore a naval uniform but he'd passed them in such a flash of motion that she hadn't caught his insignia.

"Fraid not," she nodded again.

"Is there anything at all you can remember that might help us catch him?" Tracy pressed.

"Do we have to catch him?" The previously dazed ensign looked at Tracy as though she'd just lost her best friend.

It was Tracy who now stood in the parking lot stunned. "I don't think we could consider the gentleman's 'behavior' appropriate for a military base, ensign."

"Oh, no, of course not, ma'am." Regaining her composure, the ensign raised her fingers momentarily to her lips, brushing them softly before letting her hand fall once again to her side. "If you'll excuse me, I'll be late for duty." Saluting Tracy, she hurried across the lot.

Keeping an eye on the ensign, Tracy saw Gunny rushing back in her direction. He stopped abruptly by the woman's side, exchanged a few words, and then hurried back to where Tracy had been standing.

"No luck?" Tracy inquired.

"He knows this base better than I do. He may have been wearing a navy uniform, but he's no sailor."

"How could you tell?"

"For one thing, he was wearing running shoes."

"He could change them. What else?"

"No cover."

"Surely anyone who works this closely with the military would know they'd have to have a cover outdoors."

"Exactly," Gunny agreed.

By the time Tracy finished her meeting with her client, Gunny had gotten a list of names of the other 'victims'. He'd finished interviewing the young ensign from the parking lot and had made a few casual inquiries of two names on the list when Tracy caught up with him.

"What have you got so far?" Tracy followed Gunny to the parking lot.

"We've narrowed it down to a tall, short, slender, heavy, petty officer, corporal."

"Oh, dear. Not the most reliable witnesses." Tracy held back a smile.

"Maybe if even one of them had kept their eyes open, I'd have something to go on."

"I suppose this would explain why the base officials weren't able to get anywhere with their inquiries." Tracy stepped aside while Gunny opened the car door.

"I've got copies of all the reported incidents. Maybe I can come up with some kind of a pattern."

"Let me know when you have the common denominators narrowed down and we can work out some kind of profile. It won't be much, but maybe it will help."

"I have a feeling I'm going to need all the help I can get with this." Gunny climbed into the car and pulled out of the parking space. It was already after five and it was a long ride back to the office and then to Beth's. He almost wished he hadn't accepted the invitation. Only a few hours on the trail and already this case was nagging at him.

**Rabb Flat**

**1930**

"You really should have warned me." Harm stood staring at the empty hallway.

"I tried, but every time I opened my mouth to say something you pulled me into another kiss."

"You should have stopped me." Harm turned back to face his wife.

Mac placed one hand on her hip, crinkled her mouth into a sideways smirk, and raised one eyebrow at him knowingly.

"Okay, so maybe I was a tad persistent," he defended.

"A tad?"

"Oh, Mac. She's right. When I'm near you I feel like a horny teenager. There, you happy? I said it." With one long stride, Harm was standing in front of her and had pulled her tightly into his arms. "You don't think she thinks I'm a sex maniac or something?"

If the look on Harm's face hadn't been so serious, Mac would have burst out in laughter. "No, I'm sure the thought has never crossed her mind...well, not seriously anyhow." This time Mac couldn't help laughing just a little.

"Mac, this is serious." Harm pulled away from her. "What if we're giving her the wrong impression? Her entire future sexual perceptions are being formed by what she sees." Harm paused, turned to look at the hall and turned back. "I thought we were being discreet."

"We are, within reason." Mac stepped up to Harm and placed her hand on his arm. "She's a smart kid. She knows we're newlyweds and she knows you're not the most comfortable talking about sex. It didn't take a genius to figure out that using those two points in a single conversation would be enough to fluster you into giving her permission to spend Tuesday night at Mary's."

Harm carefully considered Mac's words. His grip around her waist tightened slightly. "She manipulated me."

"I prefer to look at it as she chose the tactic with the highest probability for success."

"Hmm." He kissed Mac's nose. "Except if I didn't want to spend most of my waking hours making love to my wife, she wouldn't have wanted to go to Mary's in the first place." Harm was serious again.

"I think you're making too much of this, Harm. Mattie's a teenager and a romantic at heart. She knows how much we love each other and Tuesday is Valentine's Day, the most romantic day of the year. Anyone would feel like a third wheel around any couple."

"Maybe." Harm resisted the urge to kiss her again.

"It's okay. Really, it is." Mac leaned up and kissed him on the lips.

"Have I mentioned lately how much I love you, Mrs. Rabb?"

"Feel free to remind me anytime, Mr. Rabb." Capturing his lips one more time, Mac pulled back slowly. "I love you, too, but we'd better pick this up later. After Mattie goes to bed," she smiled.

"It's a date."

**Chapter 3**

Gunny stood in front of Beth's door. The only other time he'd been here had been when he'd picked her up to take her to the medal ceremony a few weeks ago. There was no reason for him to be nervous, but for some reason a flock of geese was doing calisthenics in his stomach. He'd barely had time to raise his hand to knock when the door suddenly flew open.

"I thought I heard someone out here. Come on in. I knew you'd be a while, so I decided to make a lasagna."

"You didn't have to go to all that trouble." Gunny followed her the few short feet to the tiny kitchen.

"It wasn't. I love lasagna, but it's way too much for one person. Besides, this is an easy meal to keep warm. Are you hungry?" She pulled the tray out of the oven, dropped it on the counter, and flipped the door shut.

"Mm, that smells wonderful." Gunny sniffed the air.

"Mom's recipe. I had to use bottled sauce, but the secret is the extra cheese." Beth was happy to have something to keep her busy. Gunny had been so good to her, she really wanted to pay him back, at least a little. "Make yourself comfortable. Well, as comfortable as you can in this place."

Gunny could hear her chuckling in the kitchen. Sitting down in the only armchair in the room, he immediately realized why she was laughing. Maybe he should have tried the sofa. Glancing over at the stiff-looking couch, he was fairly sure it wasn't going to be much better. Shifting his weight slightly, he looked around the room. It was very obviously base housing. He could see here and there where she had tried to spruce it up a bit. Despite the sparse furnishings, she'd managed to give the place a homey feel.

A heavy mood settled around him. His eyes had fallen on the photograph beside him. Beth looked so happy in that photo. He wondered if he had any right to be here. Maybe he was just getting old. He was bound to reach that age sooner or later when he felt the need to settle down, find a wife, and raise a family. He hadn't meant to get so attached to Beth and the baby, but who was he kidding? He wasn't just attached, he was growing more and more in love with her every day and it wasn't just because of the baby. She had a wicked sense of humor, an honorable sense of loyalty, and an uncanny ability to make him feel good just standing in the same room with her.

"Gunny?"

"What... sorry." He hoped she hadn't caught him staring at the photograph. He didn't know why, but somehow he felt like a voyeur, as though he'd been taking a look at a private moment meant only for the two people laughing in the picture.

"Would you like something to drink? I have ginger ale, Coke, and Miller light."

Gunny couldn't stop the grin that slowly spread across his face. There was no way she just happened to have Miller light in her fridge. "A beer would be nice." He lifted himself out of the seat.

"No, no. I'll get it." Laughing softly again, she called over her shoulder, "It's not like I have that far to go!"

**Next Day**

Picadilly Jewelers 

"It's a lovely choice. Any woman would be delighted to receive such a thoughtful gift."

"It would have probably been more thoughtful if I hadn't waited until the Saturday before Valentine's Day to pick it out." Harm didn't know how he had let time get away from him, but if Bruce hadn't called him about the kissing bandit, he would honestly have forgotten Valentine's Day was coming up. "Is it too late to have it engraved?"

"Not at all. We have a few other things waiting before yours, but if you come back Monday morning, it will be ready."

"Thank you very much." Harm took one more deep breath, nodded his head and paid the gentleman politely waiting for Harm's final decision. The locket wasn't the sort of thing he expected to see Mac wear, but he hoped that would make it all the more special to her.

Now all he had to do was find photos of himself and Mattie small enough to place inside the locket, and he'd be home free. Of course, he didn't have much time to hunt something down, and he already had Mac looking at him funny when he said he needed to run out to the office for a short while. Harm had made an extra effort to avoid work like the plague over the weekends. Nonetheless, so as not to lie, he was on his way to his office for at least a few minutes. Maybe he could get Mattie to help him out with the photo project. At least it might look less conspicuous if she snooped around than if Mac spotted him pilfering old photographs.

**Rabb Flat **

**An hour later**

"Anybody home?" The house sounded unusually quiet to Harm as he stepped across the threshold.

"In here," Mac's muffled voice could be heard from the back of the house.

Harm followed the echo to their bedroom. "Exactly where is here?"

"In the shower."

A slow grin twitched at the sides of his mouth before he realized he didn't hear any water running. What he hadn't expected to find was Mac in a pair of ratty old jeans, a tank top, her hair in a bandana, standing on a step stool, and painting the ceiling over the shower.

"Hey," she grinned, blowing a wisp of hair out of her eyes.

"Hey," he chuckled. "What the hell are you doing?"

"I got tired of looking at the spots from the Habersham's water leak last month. I thought a little fresh paint would do the trick."

"We had water spots?" Harm stepped a little closer to the shower.

"Yeah, I noticed them a few days after the leak in the Habersham's flat. The one that almost flooded us out of house and home." Mac paused to glance at Harm.

"If you say so." His eyes fell from the ceiling, slowly taking in the beautiful pink glow of her skin, and rather amused that she was now standing at the just the right height, leaving her bosom at his eye level. Thoughts of searching for small photos had completely evaded him as he considered the odds of his Marine decking him if he tried what he really wanted to do. "Do you have any idea how delicious you look standing there like that?"

"I'm covered in splattered paint drops and you think I look delicious?" Mac glanced down again and noticed the intensity with which he was watching her paint. "You're incorrigible, Harmon Rabb." She bent over and kissed the tip of his nose.

"I tried to tell you that last night!" As much appeal as nibbling his way up his wife's torso held at the moment, Harm knew too well that he'd have a much happier wife if he let her finish her project and if he could get Mattie to help him on his hunt for the perfect photos for his gift to her.

**Chapter 4**

**Headquarters London**

**Tracy Manetti's office**

**Monday Morning**

"Whoever this is, he's not intimidated by rank, and there doesn't seem to be a preference for age, hair color, weight..." Tracy looked over the information Gunny had compiled.

"No, ma'am. Apparently the bandit doesn't believe in discrimination. The only consistent factor seems to be marital status. None of the women approached were married or dating at the time."

"So we can presume whoever this person is, he has some way of knowing the romantic status of his victims." Tracy concentrated on the information before her.

"Simple observation of a lack of a wedding ring wouldn't be indicative of whether or not the women had a boyfriend."

"So where is he getting his information, and more importantly, how do we use that to catch him?"

Gunny had been thinking about the same thing. He'd considered asking the commander to act as a decoy, but wasn't sure that it would make any difference if her single status were not already well known.

"Do I detect an idea brewing?" Tracy asked in her very charming southern drawl.

"We need to draw him out. How many places have you been on base since you took over this case?"

Tracy knew exactly what he had been thinking. She'd considered the same thing. If she had been visible enough on base for the bandit to realize she was single and unattached, perhaps she could draw him out. "I interviewed several people in the motor pool, my client's girlfriend in the housing office, of course I went to the CO's office, and I had lunch one day in the commissary. I'd say I was relatively visible," she grinned.

"I think a visit to your client, and a few repeat interviews, might be in order today." Gunny had already mapped out a list of places for Tracy to go that were high on the culprit's hit list, with easily accessible vantage points for Gunny to keep an eye on her.

"It probably wouldn't hurt to toss out a comment or two about not having a Valentine for tomorrow."

"No, ma'am, it wouldn't." Gunny smiled coyly. He was really liking how easy Commander Manetti was to work with.

Picadilly Jewelers 

Beth stood patiently waiting for Blair to pick up the phone.

"Captain Rabb's office."

"What took you so long?" Beth practically shouted into the phone.

"I didn't think it was prudent to tell Admiral Ulrich to please hold," Petty Officer Blair snapped.

"Ulrich? Why didn't he use the direct line?" Beth wondered out loud.

"I don't know. Do you think I should have asked him?" Blair made no effort to hide his sarcasm. He hated it when he had to sit in for Beth.

"I need to speak to the captain."

"So why didn't you use his private line?"

"Because I'm not an admiral!" She hated to admit he was right. Since she was on an errand for her boss, she probably could have used his private line. She shifted her weight back and forth from foot to foot waiting for her CO to finish with the admiral, until she finally heard his voice over the phone.

"Rabb."

"Sir, it's James. I think there's a small problem."

"How so?" Harm leaned forward against his desk.

"Sir, you didn't get your wife a gold-plated golfball that reads: to Mac, the best fourth we ever had, the M.M.?"

"What?"

"Well, sir, apparently the storekeeper is home sick today and the salesclerk is a little confused by his filing method."

Harm's eyes opened wide. "Beth, what are you trying to tell me?"

"Sir, the item for Captain Harmon Rabb was placed on the engravers shelf with the name 'Mac' on it. This is all they have for Mac."

Harm sat momentarily stunned. She had to be kidding him. On the other hand, nothing else was going right this morning. Why should this be any different? "I bought Mac a gold locket. They were supposed to have engraved on the back: to Mac for Eternity, love Harm.

"I see. I'll follow up on that right away, sir."

"Let me know if I need to come down there."

"Yes, sir. I don't think it will be necessary, sir."

Hanging up the phone, Beth glared at the spacey blonde. "NOW will you call your boss?" She had tried to convince the woman that there was no way her boss would buy such an absurd gift for his wife, but the ditzy blonde had refused to bother her boss when he wasn't feeling well.

Fifteen minutes later Harm's private line rang. "Rabb."

"Sir, I've got the name of the other client they most likely gave your gift to. It's a Mr. Marshall Harris. I'm afraid it's going to take a little time. He's not answering his phone and according to the sales clerk his address is about an hour outside of London by train."

"Just have them wrap up another one without the engraving and I'll have it engraved later."

"I thought of that, sir. They don't have another one. Not even a similar one."

Harm ran his fingers through his hair. "Very well, Petty Officer. Come on back to the office. I'll take over from here."

"I don't mind going after it, sir."

"Beth, you've done an excellent job, but it's time for me to deal with it." He had felt badly enough sending her out on his errands during her lunch hour. There was no way he was about to let a woman five months pregnant go traipsing around suburban London in search of his gift for his wife.

"Aye, aye, sir."

Dropping the handset back in its cradle, Harm wondered why he had bothered getting out of bed today. Scotland Yard had notified the navy and the US Embassy about unverified terror threats, and now the entire United States military and its affiliates were on red alert. Security was going to be a royal nuisance until the source was either verified or disproved.

There was no way he would be able to get out of his office early to hunt down the locket. He was simply going to have to buy Mac something else. Maybe he could keep it for an anniversary gift, though he had hoped to get something more elaborate for their anniversary, or maybe he'd just give it to her for the hell of it because he loved her. Laughing quietly, he shook his head. After all, who said you had to have a reason to give your wife a gift?

Back at the flat, Mac had just finished taping the last corner of her gifts to Harm. She had no idea how she had managed to make it this long without spilling the beans. Shopping for the gift had given her a reasonable distraction and then toying over which photos to include had been time consuming as well, but now that the gifts were neatly wrapped, she hadn't a clue how she was going to wait until tomorrow to give them to him.

Every photograph had been carefully considered and chosen. Trish had sent her a lovely one of Harm graduating the academy. Of course she'd chosen one of Trish, Harm Sr., and Harm as a young boy for the first photograph. She added the one of Harm's graduation, and then after having picked a few photos of Harm and his old fighter squadron, and Harm with Sarah the biplane, she opted instead go straight into their lives. There was the photo of them at the NATO ball their first year working together. She loved the photo from their trip to Florida after capturing the drug runners. Harm always looked so handsome in a muscle shirt. She had to admit, they looked pretty good together in the photo from the party at the Sudanese Embassy, and somehow they'd managed to get a nice photograph of only the two of them without their significant others at the Surface Warfare ball. She almost didn't put in the one of them at her engagement party at the admiral's house, but it was one of the few photos that had been taken of them together that year. The next photo was one of her personal favorites, Butch and Sundance armed and ready to go, standing by a humvee in the Afghan desert. The Christmas photo at the Roberts' the year Harm gave away his wings was her next choice, and the two of them at the admiral's retirement, and of course their wedding photo, were the last few. She'd struggled with what to put in the last empty space and finally settled on a cutout advert for Harrods'.

Smiling with satisfaction, she placed the two packages between some sweaters in her closet. Already fifteen minutes late for lunch with Harm, she grabbed her purse and smiled contentedly. Only eighteen hours and 42 minutes until they could exchange gifts.

**Chapter 5**

**RAF Ruislip **

**1230 hours**

Tracy Manetti had spent the better part of the last two hours wandering about Ruislip Air Base in hopes of attracting the bandit's attention. She'd returned to the car three times pretending to have forgotten paperwork, and she'd strolled down the narrow path between the commissary and the admin building at least four times. The last time, she'd strolled so slowly, the tortoise could have easily beaten her! She'd pretty much had enough for one day.

The commissary was only a few feet away from her when she saw a rustling in the shrubbery off to her left. Setting her footing more firmly, prepared for the appearance of a wayward sailor, she found herself laughing out loud when a big old tomcat brushed past her ankles.

"You wouldn't be searching for a Valentine, now would you?" She smiled down at the fat cat. Judging by his weight, there was no doubt he knew where to find a good meal.

Having watched the old cat swirl a path around her ankles a few times, Tracy was just about to bend over and pick him up when he darted off towards lunch. "Guess I'm not going to get a Valentine either," she laughed after the cat.

"Everyone deserves a Valentine," came from behind her.

Before she could fully turn to see who it was, she found herself the recipient of a rather bold and ardent kiss. For a split second she almost forgot why she'd been walking that stupid path in the first place. There was no doubt why so many of the women remembered so little. She wasn't sure she'd ever been on the receiving end of such a forcefully tender and enrapturing kiss in all her life.

Reaching out to grab hold of his arm, she was once again startled. This time by a prominent southern accent, "Thank ya, ma'am."

Not exactly sure what had come over her, she heard herself say, "You're quite welcome," as she watched the young man gallop away. It wasn't until she noticed Gunny close on his heels that she remembered what the entire point of her late morning stroll had been all about.

**London Headquarters**

**Harm's office**

**Same time**

"Harm, you've got to eat something anyhow. Let me go pick up some take away. We can eat it here, or if you want I'll go home, but at least you'll have something to eat." Mac understood why he wouldn't want to leave the building until he had more concrete information on the red alert, but she didn't think that meant he had to skip lunch altogether.

"She's right, sir," Beth offered boldly. "Sorry, to interrupt, sir, but the intercom button seems to be stuck on your phone and there are four... gentlemen here to see you."

"Any excuse to gang up on me, Petty Officer."

"No, sir!" Beth blushed profusely, straightening to attention as best she could in her condition.

"At ease, Beth," Harm chuckled quietly. "I'll agree to take out and you can send the visitors in. Any idea what this is all about?"

"I believe it has something to do with the mix-up in this morning's meeting, sir."

Harm looked at her curiously, not sure what she was referring to.

"You remember, sir. The one I had to call you on more than once."

"I see. Very well." Giving Beth a dismissive nod and a discreet wink, he turned towards his wife. "Want to do take out Lebanese?"

Mac's nose crinkled awkwardly. "Not in the mood for Lebanese." The truth was, just the word Lebanese made her queasy.

"Okay, then what would you like?" Harm was a little surprised. In all the time they'd lived here, Mac had never once turned down Lebanese.

"How about the Indian place up the street?" Her eyes lit up like a kid at Christmas.

"Indian food it is," Harm answered with a broad smile. He'd eat horsemeat if it meant making Mac happy.

As Mac stepped out the door, Beth held it open for the visitors. It took every ounce of military decorum for Harm not to burst out laughing. If he'd thought Germans in lederhosen in the middle of Washington HQ was laughable, they had nothing on the group passing over his threshold.

"How may I help you gentlemen?" Harm extended his hand to the costume-clad group.

Each man introduced himself, the last one moving his mandolin to one side in order to shake Harm's hand. "My name is Marshall Harris and I believe we have something that belongs to you."

It took a few minutes for the name to register. "The locket!" Harm wondered if this meant today wasn't going to be a complete loss after all.

"You can imagine our surprise when Mac here opened his retirement gift. Fortunately, we were doing a performance just down the road a tic."

"I gather that would explain the... um..." Harm wasn't sure quite what to call the getups they were wearing.

"Wardrobe, yes. We're the Merry Minstrels," the taller gentleman whose name Harm had already forgotten announced proudly.

Now it all made sense. The tights, the balloon-like pants that barely reached their knees, the puffy sleeves with gold fabric and velvet accents, the feather clad hats, and of course, the mandolins.

"You see, old Mac here is retiring. He and his wife are moving to Jersey," Marshall explained.

"It's not that we can't replace him. He never was very good at the mandolin," the taller one teased.

"No, but he's going to be missed at our Wednesday afternoon golf games. It's hard to find a good fourth," Marshall finished with a smile.

"It's nice to know you'll be missed for something," Mac chuckled heartily.

"Anyhow, we're hoping your Mac is a sight prettier than ours!" the taller one chimed in, obviously the comic in the group.

"Uhhm," Harm cleared his throat. "That would be my wife. You just passed her on her way out."

"A mighty sight prettier, she is," a short, pudgy fellow with a slight Irish accent spoke up for the first time.

"Yes, well. Here you go. Lovely choice for such a lovely lady." Mac handed the small package over to Harm.

"Thank you, gentlemen. I appreciate all you've done."

"It's been our pleasure."

Shaking each man's hand, Harm watched them walk out the door and couldn't resist stepping up to see the bullpen's reaction. It gave him as much of a chuckle watching his staff pretend to not notice the odd group leave as it had to see them step into his office a few minutes earlier.

**Front Entry**

**London HQ**

**Forty-five minutes later**

"Colonel, how nice to see you here this time of day," Tracy stepped up to the door next to Mac.

"I'm bringing Harm some food, but I'm not all that sure he's going to eat it," she shrugged.

"Let me get that, ma'am." Gunny scurried past the two women to open the door.

"Thank you," Mac nodded at Gunny. "Any luck on the Cupid case?"

"The commander caught him this morning, ma'am." Gunny waited for Tracy to step through.

"I appreciate your efforts, Gunny, but the truth is without the Gunny I'd have been another dumbfounded victim, and quite frankly, I think 'victim' is a poor choice of words," Tracy grinned broadly, trying her best not blush too badly at her own embarrassment.

"Really?" Mac raised an eyebrow at Tracy.

"Oh, yeah!" Tracy laughed out loud.

Gunny followed the two women into the building, shaking his head and trying very hard not to laugh along with them. The twinkle in his eye disappeared behind a wall of Marine awareness at the high pitched bleep of a building-wide alarm.

Tracy, Mac and Gunny stopped in place, instinctively glancing around them.

"That's the alarm attached to the security sensors. This way!" Gunny placed a hand along either woman's lower back and hurried them a few more feet down the hall, through the double doors, and down the stairs.

"What exactly does that mean?" Mac asked, following Gunny's direction, but her mind was back on Harm and his office.

"Nerve gas, ma'am." Gunny swallowed hard. His job was to get the commander and Mrs. Rabb to safety, but his heart was several offices away with a very beautiful, very special, and very pregnant, petty officer.


	2. Chapters 610

**Love is in the Air  
**

**  
Chapter 6**

Harm's head shot up at the glaring alarm. It took him a few seconds to register the difference between the odd bleeping and the usual fire drill. Knocking his chair over behind him, he rushed out to Beth's desk. She was already out from behind her desk and heading for his door. "Move it now, Petty Officer."

"Sir, I have to secure..."

"Now! Out the security tunnel. Do not stop or speak to anyone. That's an order." Knowing it would most likely do no good, he pulled out his handkerchief and handed it to her anyway. "Breathe through this."

"Yes, sir." She accepted the handkerchief and reluctantly turned away.

Once Mac and Tracy were past the second set of double doors in the underground tunnel, Gunny pointed ahead. "There's a safe room at the end of the hall. I'm going back to help with the evacuation."

"Understood," Mac replied automatically. Technically, Tracy was his superior officer, but it was second nature for Mac to respond to the Marine.

Gunny hadn't made it more than twenty feet back up the hall when the staff started shuffling in his direction. "This way." He waved them forward. "Keep going. The safe room isn't far."

"Why can't we just leave the building?" one of the secretaries asked.

"SOP, ma'am." The question hadn't been directed to Gunny, but since he'd heard it, he felt obliged to respond. When he saw Beth coming towards him with a cloth over her mouth his stomach rose to his throat. "Are you okay?"

Beth nodded. She wasn't prepared to disobey an order, even to speak to Gunny.

Gunny wanted to stay with her, but his duty was to see to it that the building was evacuated. He had a responsibility to everyone in the building.

Harm would have preferred a less dramatic confirmation of the red alert, but at least it was some consolation that Mac hadn't been caught in the building. Now, his thoughts fled to Beth. He had a concern for everyone under his command, but he was especially worried about her. If the nerve gas alarm was accurate, there was no telling what damage could have been done to the baby. He didn't want to even begin to consider the horrible possibilities.

"Sir, you need to leave the building now," Staff Sergeant Michael Houlihan said as sternly as possible.

"Is the building secure?"

"Floors three, four, and five are all clear."

"What about the rest of the building?"

"In process. Let's get moving, sir. Please." The sergeant waved Harm down the hall just as Gunny Galindez came through the tunnel double doors.

"Anyone left?"

"Three, four and five are all clear," Houlihan reported.

Just then Corporal Milton came barreling around the corner. "One and two all secure, sirs!"

"Then let's move it!" Harm ordered, following the last of the Marines through the double doors and down the hall.

Mac was surprised at the size of the safe room. She had expected a small structure barely large enough to pack the staff in like sardines. If her estimates were correct, the safe room ran the length and width of the building above it. The rear of the area had at least twenty cots neatly laid out in barracks style. One wall was covered with basic supplies, including blankets, pillows, lanterns, and water. Silently she hoped they wouldn't be there long enough to need any of it.

"Not exactly what I had expected," Tracy commented softly, looking around at the bare room.

"Me neither," Mac added, her voice as quiet as Tracy's.

"How many people do you think are in the building?" Mac wondered aloud, noticing a stack of thin mats, not much different from those used for exercising.

"I believe at full capacity there are approximately 350."

"Things could get crowded," Mac sighed.

"Yes, ma'am." Tracy looked up at the first group of people coming through the door. "We'd better make ourselves useful."

Mac nodded her head and walked towards the door. Tracy moved to where the mats were stacked along one wall of shelves.

"Everybody move along. If you'd like a cushion to sit on, see Commander Manetti across the way. Otherwise, find a spot somewhere and make yourselves comfortable."

Quickly, a continuous hum of conversation could be heard throughout the room. When Mac spotted Beth winding her way into the room through the crowd, she suggested Beth go straight to the back and lay down on one of the cots.

"I don't think that will be necessary, ma'am." Beth tried to smile. She was worried about Gunny going back into the building.

"Well, you certainly can't be expected to sit on the floor in your condition. At least go sit on one of the cots."

"Thank you, ma'am, but it's not that hard to get up and down, yet." Beth noticed Mac looking over her shoulder and down the hall. "I'm sure he'll be along any second, ma'am."

"Thank you, Beth."

"I tried to stay and secure the offices, but Captain Rabb ordered me to leave."

"I would have done the same," Mac nodded. "I'm sure you're right and he'll be along shortly." Mac wished she felt as sure as she sounded. The last thing she needed now was for Harm to play Superman somehow.

Within a few minutes, the last of the personnel had settled into the room. Harm and Gunny had been in the hall just outside the doorway, talking on the radio. Mac watched them intently, wishing she was still an active Marine so she could go out there and find out what was going on.

Finally, Harm and Gunny made their way into the room.

"Attention on deck," Gunny called out loudly. Immediately the room quieted to a dull roar.

"If I can have your attention a minute please." Harm waved his arms at the crowd in an effort to drop the noise level another notch. "We've had a confirmation of a security sensor indicating nerve gas has been released into our ventilation system. As some of you know, the tunnel and this safe room are on a separate ventilation system and will not be affected by whatever has set off the alarm. A doctor should be joining us shortly in the event anyone needs medical attention before we receive the all clear. We could be here for a while, so try to make yourselves as comfortable as possible."

Everyone continued to stare at Harm as though that might somehow make the information he'd just shared more palatable. By the time he'd moved closer to his wife, the quiet buzz of conversation had once again filled the room.

"How bad is it?" Mac asked quietly.

"We have no idea. We might as well make ourselves comfortable, too." Harm steered Mac towards a relatively uncrowded area along a side wall. "This could be a long night."

Grabbing a spare cushion as he walked past the rack, Harm dropped it on the floor and gestured for Mac to have a seat. "I didn't realize you were in the building."

"Barely," she shrugged. "If you're hungry, your lunch is on that table over there." She tried to smile but somehow it came out more as a faint smirk. "I was barely in the front door when the alarm went off. I'd bumped into Gunny and Tracy outside. As soon as the alarm sounded, Gunny practically shoved Tracy and me into the hall and down to the tunnel. I probably didn't breathe from the building air for more than 30 seconds."

"I'm worried about Beth. We got her out pretty quick, but I'd hate to see something happen to that baby."

"You think it might?" A sick feeling swelled in the pit of her stomach.

"I wish I knew," Harm sighed heavily.

**Chapter 7**

As soon as the other Marines didn't need him, Gunny walked over to where Beth was sitting on one of the cots. "Glad to see you taking it easy." He sat down next to her.

"Mrs. Rabb seemed to think it was a good idea. Once I got over that naval stubborn streak, I decided she was right."

"Were you having trouble breathing?" Gunny was a little startled by his overwhelming need to touch her, by how he wanted to run his hands down her sides and across her tummy, to simply make sure everything was really all right. Of course, he knew better than to try, but still, he wanted to more than anything else right now. He desperately felt the need for just a little reassurance.

"No, the captain gave me his handkerchief and ordered me not to stop or speak to anyone."

A small smile twitched at the corners of his mouth. That man really was one hell of an officer.

"How long do you think we'll be here?" Beth mindlessly rubbed the side of her large belly.

"There's no way of telling. Are you feeling okay?" Gunny misunderstood her light ministrations as a sign of discomfort.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just worried about all these people."

Now wasn't that typical Beth. Five months pregnant, with plenty of her own problems, and she was worried about all the other people in the room.

"I'm sure everyone will be fine." Gunny patted her arm slightly. Under the circumstances, the small gesture didn't seem out of line.

"I know." Beth dropped her right hand momentarily on top of Gunny's and squeezed lightly. A simple act of gratitude, but she was unaware of the impact it had on the stoic Marine. "Why won't they just let us go home?"

"Security. Once the situation is under control, everyone exposed might need to have medical treatment."

Beth pressed her lips and gave a short nod, wishing she could take hold of Gunny's hand for a little security of her own.

Across the room Harm and Mac sat chatting quietly with their hands entwined tightly when Tracy walked over. With remarkable ease, she descended to the floor beside Harm more gracefully than either of them thought was humanly possible.

"Any idea what prompted this?" she asked in almost a whisper.

"A security sensor indicated nerve gas was released somewhere in the building." Harm shrugged a shoulder and crinkled his mouth to one side. He wished he had more information for her.

"Then all we can do is wait." It wasn't really a question.

Harm knew what they needed now most of all was to distract themselves from the situation at hand. "I'm afraid so. Care to fill me in on this morning?"

"Well, sir, our brazen lothario appears to be nothing more than a foolish romantic." She paused, hoping that would be enough, but the look on her CO's face indicated he was clearly waiting for the rest of the story. "I'm afraid I let my guard down when I was distracted by a rather friendly tomcat."

"A ploy?" Harm asked.

"I suspect it was a mere coincidence since none of the other reports mentioned a cat. I wasn't as prepared as I should have been when he appeared behind me. Under normal circumstances I should have been able to apprehend him myself."

"Normal circumstances?" Harm curled a curious brow.

"I think she means if he hadn't distracted her with a kiss." Mac squeezed his hand, hoping he wasn't going to make this too difficult for Tracy. Mac could already see how awkward retelling the story was for her.

"That would be correct, ma'am." As hard as she tried not to, Tracy knew her cheeks were undoubtedly turning a bright shade of red.

Harm looked over at his wife and back at Tracy. Surely, this guy couldn't have had THAT much of an effect on the woman?

"Fortunately, after he thanked me and ran away, Gunny was able to apprehend him."

"He thanked you?" Harm couldn't believe the nerve of this guy.

"Apparently he's from a rural town in Georgia. He explained that his grandmother would never forgive him if he didn't remember his manners." Tracy did her best to hide a grin. Harm on the other hand burst out laughing.

"And his 'grandmother' wouldn't have minded his running around stealing kisses?"

"He didn't expound on that," she smiled.

"So, who is he?" Harm asked.

"Civilian. Overheard his sister and some friends talking about how hard it was to get the men to notice them if they didn't look like an actress. That was all the inspiration he needed. Working at the commissary he got to eavesdrop on all the conversations. He had a pretty good idea of who was socially active and who was 'lonely', as he put it. Apparently, had he not overheard my comment to the kitty about not having a Valentine, I would not have been a suitable target."

"Suitable target?"

"Mr. Perkins wouldn't have wanted to 'offend' anyone." Tracy bit back another laugh.

"How did we wind up with this guy in the first place?"

"His sister is stationed here. He took a year off from his studies and came to visit her. When she managed to get him a job at the commissary, he agreed to stay on longer."

"Lucky us. So how old is he?"

"Twenty, sir." Tracy wasn't about to tell her CO that she felt this kid must have spent his entire high school career studying backseat maneuvers, because he really was one hell of a kisser.

Harm rubbed the side of his face, hiding a quiet chuckle, then looked back up at Tracy. "He's not US military so we can't hold him accountable. Is there anyone willing to press charges against him with the local authorities?"

"I'm afraid not, sir. Everyone agrees he was perfectly harmless, and considering his young age, they're willing to write it off as youthful folly."

"He won't be allowed back on base. If he wants to remain in London with his sister he'll have to prey on somebody else." Harm wasn't completely convinced this young man was as harmless as everyone seemed to think.

"His sister has already taken care of that. She's arranged for him to go home to Grandma for a refresher course on southern manners." This time Tracy chuckled out loud. Her experience with southern grandmothers led her to believe that he would have had an easier time of it in the brig.

Gunny had been recounting the story of the kissing bandit to Beth, fully aware that her attention was on the Rabbs and Commander Manetti across the room.

"I honestly didn't expect her to stand there frozen when he finally kissed her. Fortunately, from where I stood, he didn't have enough time to get a good lead on me."

"It's probably best he's going home," she mumbled, still staring at the Rabbs. "Have you noticed throughout that entire conversation they haven't stopped holding hands?"

"No, but that doesn't surprise me. This is a stressful situation. It makes sense they would lean on each other. Under the circumstances, holding hands is justifiable."

"It's sweet too."

He wasn't willing to agree to sweet, but he did agree they made a smart looking couple.

"They'd probably be wonderful parents," Beth added softly.

"Yes, they already are." Gunny thought back to all the stories he'd heard about the Rabbs and Mattie. Not many people could take on a teenager like that, especially after her accident.

"Yeah, I guess you're right." Beth began rubbing her tummy again. "Do you think if they really can't have children of their own, maybe they might want mine?"

**Chapter 8**

Gunny couldn't seem to find any words. He'd known she hadn't made up her mind regarding what to do about the baby. It had actually been the cause of some concern for him ever since New Year's, when he'd realized she was still seriously considering giving the baby away. At this stage of their pregnancies his sisters would have already been overloaded with more baby paraphernalia than any single home could hold. In Beth's case, she didn't have a single item that could be considered even slightly baby related, nor did she have the room in that little apartment to hold it even if she did.

"What do you think?" she repeated.

"I think you'd be as good a mother as the colonel." It didn't exactly answer her question, but it was the truth.

Beth glanced down at her tummy before looking up at Gunny. "I wish that were true."

"It is." He could read the doubt in her eyes. "I've known the colonel a very long time and I think I've come to know you pretty well the last few months. You have just as much to offer a child as she does."

"Maybe so, but she and Captain Rabb could afford things I'll never be able to give this baby. It would be the best of both worlds. A life filled with love, nurturing, and a more than comfortable lifesty...le." Beth froze pressing her hand more forcefully against her stomach.

"Is something wrong?" Gunny immediately noticed the odd look on her face.

"I'm not sure." Waiting a few more seconds in silence, a small grin slowly spread across her face. "I think the baby's kicking." Without giving it a second thought she reached over, took hold of Gunny's hand, and placed it on her side. Keeping her hand firmly on his, she waited again for another sensation. "There!" She grinned more brightly.

Gunny chuckled softly. "Yup. That was definitely a kick."

Across the room, Tracy Manetti got up from her spot next to Harm and Mac.

"I can't believe one little kiss could have completely disarmed someone as competent as Tracy." Harm shook his head.

"I can."

Harm raised a brow at her.

"I'm serious. I remember one little ole kiss on a dock in Norfolk that literally took my breath away. I'm not sure how I managed to find the words to say something."

"That really was one hell of a kiss. Did you really think I was kissing Diane?"

"Weren't you?"

"It might have been her memory that drew me to you, but the feelings that came to life inside me had nothing to do with any ghosts." Harm stretched his fingers and then wrapped them more tightly around Mac's hand.

"But you didn't say a thing." Mac shifted her weight for a better look at him.

"Part of me didn't think you wanted to hear that. Another part of me didn't want to admit it to myself."

"When did that part finally admit it?"

"On the admiral's porch. When you walked away, I had no idea how I was going to live with the ache of watching you marry another man." Harm's thumb brushed soothingly back and forth against her hand.

"Oh, Harm..." Mac didn't know what to say. Why did so much go so wrong for so long? "We wasted so much time."

"I know. I'm sorry."

"So am I." Mac put her other hand over their already clasped hands. "I guess that leaves us no choice but to double our efforts to make up for lost time." A grin as wide as the English Channel slid across her face and the impish twinkle that appeared in her eyes could have lit all of London.

"Woman, you're hell on a man's restraint!" Harm had no idea how he had resisted the urge to pull her into his arms for as many years as he had, because at this moment it was taking every ounce of self-discipline he had, and then some, not to try and kiss her socks off.

Still smiling, Mac shifted back and rested her head against the wall behind her, noticing for the first time how cute Gunny and Beth looked all alone in their own little corner of the world. "What do you think they're talking about?"

Harm looked up to see where Mac's eyes were focused. "Could be anything. Maybe he's telling her about the day's escapades," he chuckled.

"Don't think so. He's got his hand on her stomach."

Harm turned to take a closer look. "You're right."

"Of course I'm right. Think they've gotten together?"

"No. Gunny's convinced it's a one way street."

"Do you think it is?"

"Maaaac. If I were any judge of the female mind, do you really think I would have waited nine years to propose?"

"Good point," she chuckled, squeezing his hand again. "Tomorrow's Valentine's Day. Maybe Cupid will inspire them."

"Sir," Corporal Milton interrupted. "There's a call for you on the radio."

Harm quickly moved over to where the Marines had set up a mini command post. "Rabb here... I see... yes... well done. Thank you." He handed the radio back to the sergeant. "We've got the all clear."

Turning to face the rest of the room, Harm called for everyone's attention. "I've just been informed that this little exercise has been a false alarm. We've got the all clear to return to the building." Harm could hear the collective sigh of relief. "Any non-essential personnel can secure for the day. Dismissed."

Mac walked up next to Harm's side as the people slowly got up and started moving out the doorway. "Two hours and forty seven minutes, much better than I had feared."

"Much," Harm agreed. Just then he caught sight from the corner of his eye of Gunny helping Beth up from the cot. He honestly couldn't remember the last time he'd felt such relief. He had to chuckle to himself. From this distance, they looked like an old married couple. Gunny was trying to be helpful, and Beth was obviously insisting she didn't need it. He couldn't quite make out from their expressions what they might be saying, but he honestly hoped that Gunny wasn't ignoring his advice.

"I think we should go to Clachan's, get a nice hot meal, and continue this conversation," Gunny reached out to help Beth up from where she'd been sitting. He wasn't sure he could go on much longer and not say something about her plans to give up the baby.

"I don't want to talk about it. I just want to go home and put my feet up." She tugged her arm close against her.

"Fine. I'll take you home, you can put your feet up, and I'll fix you something to eat."

"You don't have to do that. I can fix my own food."

"I know I don't have to. I want to. Let me help, Beth. Please." He meant so much more than just fixing her supper, but he couldn't say that here and now.

Her chest deflated with a heavy sigh at the same time a small smile tugged at the corner of her mouth. "Who am I to argue with a Marine?"

Trying once again to offer his arm for support, Gunny gave up and followed her closely out the door and past their CO. "Sir, ma'am."

"See to it that she gets home safely," Harm replied. He was pretty sure that was already their intention, but just in case, it didn't hurt to make it an order.

Mac nodded at the two as they walked past. She slipped her arm around Harm's waist and started up the hall beside him. "You don't think they're going to need nine years to figure this out do you?"

"I certainly hope not." Looking at the young couple's back as they walked several feet ahead of him Harm turned to Mac. "Remind me I owe AJ a phone call."

**Chapter 9**

Gunny followed Beth into her apartment. "Why don't you lie down on the sofa, put your feet up, and get comfortable while I get you a cup of tea."

"If I were going to lay down anywhere with the intention of being comfortable, that sofa wouldn't be my first choice." Beth plopped heavily in the uncomfortable easy chair, hooking her foot around the coffee table to draw it in as a footrest. That was getting harder and harder to do as her tummy grew larger. She might have to break down and invest in a real footstool.

Gunny made a mental note that he wasn't the only one who thought her furniture was less than ideal. "Where do you keep the teabags?"

Beth could hear the cabinets opening and closing as Gunny searched unsuccessfully. "The thin cabinet between the stove and fridge."

"Got it." Gunny had already put the kettle on to boil and now placed three teabags in a nearby pot. Walking into the living room and taking a seat on the uncomfortable sofa, he noticed Beth glancing at the photo beside her. "It'll take the water a few minutes to boil, then I'll let the tea steep a bit." He wondered what was going through her mind. Did she miss Greg? Wish he were here? Did she still love him?

Chuckling softly, Beth was oblivious to the serious thoughts running through Gunny's mind. "Doesn't take us Yanks long to learn how to make a proper cup of tea does it?"

Gunny chuckled. "If it were a proper cup of tea, I'd be using tea leaves, not teabags."

"I stand corrected." Her smile lingered as she let her head fall back against the chair. "We just barely got out of this one today, didn't we?"

"Yeah," Gunny noticed her rubbing her feet together and stretching her toes. "Here, let me." Shifting over to sit on the coffee table, he picked her feet up and dropped them on his lap. Taking one foot in his hands, he began gently rubbing the balls of her feet before she could formally protest.

"Mm, you're hired," she murmured. Any thought of objecting to his actions disappeared faster than they had occurred to her. She could feel every ounce of the day's tension slowly slipping away. When his thumb moved across an especially sore spot, she couldn't control the low moan that escaped. "That feels so good," she mumbled. For just an instant her mind flashed to what else he could do with those hands before she quickly put a lid on any thoughts like that. Gunny was a good friend, nothing more.

The low rumble of her tired voice and soft moans was having a much stronger influence on Gunny than he had anticipated. Shifting back slightly, he tried to adjust himself more comfortably, but it was no use. His body was reacting to the sultry tones of her voice and the soft feel of her skin. It never would have occurred to him that a woman's foot could have such a sensual impact on him, but he didn't dare stop now. She deserved a little pampering. He was just going to have to find a way to clamp down on his responses.

The sharp whistle of the kettle gave him just the distraction he needed. "Be right back."

"Feel free to pick up where you left off," Beth called to his back as he hurried into the kitchen.

A few minutes later Gunny had returned with two mugs of hot tea. "Here you go.".

"Thanks." She shifted her weight to sit up a little higher in the chair, accepting the proffered cup.

"I know it's been a long day," Gunny started. "But, I'd like to talk to you about something."

"For another foot rub, you can talk to me about anything. Even income taxes," she grinned over the rim of her teacup.

"I'd like to talk about the baby." Gunny watched as Beth stiffened then scooted forward on the chair.

**Rabb Flat**

**Same time**

Harm came walking up the hall from Mattie's room. The first thing he'd done when he and Mac got home was to give his daughter a long hug. He had been vividly reminded how precious life was, and how easily this wonderful life he finally found himself in could change.

Walking up behind Mac in the kitchen, he pulled her around into his arms for another hug. He'd hugged her several times since the ordeal had ended, but somehow neither of them could shake the sense of impending loss.

"That really was a close call," Mac mumbled into his shoulder.

"Very." Harm kissed the top of her head. He'd fought visions all afternoon of Mac in a wheelchair, suffering in pain like that witness years ago who had been victim to a nerve gas attack.

"Think this was what the red alert was all about, or was it really just a faulty sensor?"

"We should know more by morning." Harm kissed her hair again. He wasn't ready to let go of her yet, and she was in no hurry either. They both needed this simple comfort, the strength they could draw only from each other.

"What do you say we skip dinner and get some sleep?" Pulling back slightly, Mac looked up into Harm's eyes.

"I'm not very hungry tonight." Sliding his arm down her side and catching her hand in his, they walked slowly to their room.

Harm was already in bed when Mac crawled in beside him. Lying on her side against him, she draped her arm across his chest. Immediately, she felt warm and secure as Harm shifted just enough to be able to wrap both his arms around her, holding her close. Snuggling into his embrace, she moved one leg, bent at the knee, over his warm body, and rested it across his midsection, her ankle tucked around his strong leg.

With another quick kiss to her forehead, Harm closed his eyes. They drifted off into a restful sleep, finding perfect comfort in the tender warmth of each other's arms.

**Beth's apartment**

**Bachelor Enlisted Quarters**

"What about the baby?" Slowly she set her cup down on the corner of the coffee table.

"What if the Rabbs aren't interested in adopting? Will you still want to give the baby away?"

Beth picked the cup up again and blew softly into the steaming liquid. She was stalling. "I honestly don't know." She took a short sip. "With the Rabbs I'd at least know the baby will have a good life. If they're not interested, it goes back to being complicated. It's not an easy decision."

"No, it shouldn't be. Do you want to know what I think?"

"What do you think?" Her tone was a sharper than usual, almost hostile.

"I think you haven't made up your mind because you want to keep this baby and are afraid to admit it. I think you're looking for reasons to give it away and you can't find any good enough."

"I'm afraid, Dr. Freud, you've overlooked a few very pertinent facts. All of which I believe I have already pointed out to you." Beth stood up and walked across the room. "Take a look around." She waved her arms. "I barely make enough money to support me. How do you suggest I stock up for the expense of a baby?" Beth didn't give him time to answer. "And you know darn well there's only one of me and no extended family to speak of. What do I do if I get deployed to someplace less comfortable, and I use the term loosely, than London? I won't even go into how little I know about babies. No siblings, no nieces or nephews. Didn't even baby-sit as a teenager. Good God, teenagers. What the hell am I going to do with a rebellious teenager if I'm stationed in Timbuktu?"

"Beth." He rose from his seat and stepped up behind her. "You wouldn't be the first parent on a budget. That's why they invented baby showers. You also wouldn't be the first single parent in the military. Lot's of people have no extended family and they still manage. I don't have any answers for the deployment problem, but I'm sure with the help of your friends we can come up with something, and plenty of first-time parents don't have a clue about babies. They get to teenagers one very small step at a time."

Beth stood frozen, her hands resting gently on the top of her tummy. The baby was squirming again. She'd gone from not feeling anything to feeling him wiggle about almost constantly in the last few hours. Somehow, it made everything seem so much more real, more urgent.

"Let me help, Beth." Hesitantly, he wrapped his arms around her and set his hands down on hers. "I'm already an experienced uncle. You could think of me as a godfather. Give us a chance."

"I...I can't ask you to do that." She pulled away from his grip.

"You're not asking. I'm offering." Gunny watched as she walked back to the chair and sat down.

"I...I don't know." A small grin tugged at the corner of her mouth. "If I say maybe, would that get me another foot rub and some food?"

In two strides, Gunny was by Beth's side. Sitting down on the coffee table as he had been before, he grabbed her feet and lifted them onto his lap again. He tried not to get too enthused with her slightly more positive response, but he couldn't stop the hopeful grin that spread across his face. "That would be affirmative."

**Chapter 10**

JAG Headquarters  
Harm's office  
Tuesday morning

Feeling inspired by the romantic, although misplaced, sentiments of the kissing bandit, Harm had taken it upon himself to make sure every female staff member had a single rose on their desk Tuesday morning.

"Sir," Petty Officer James tapped lightly on Harm's office door.

"Yes, Beth?"

"I just wanted to thank you. The rose was an appreciated gesture."

"Me?" Harm raised his eyebrows in feigned innocence. Beth couldn't resist a small smile.

"I'm afraid the florist called to see if you were happy with the delivery."

"Busted." Harm leaned back and smiled.

Beth nodded her head still smiling. "He also mentioned the arrangement for Mrs. Rabb would be delivered by 1100 hours."

"Thank you, Beth, and ... let's not share this information with anyone."

"No, sir," she smiled. Getting a rose from your boss wasn't quite the same as getting a rose from a lover, but it was better than not getting any rose at all.

**Rabb Flat  
1015 hours**

Mac set the nicely wrapped gift on Harm's side of the bed. It had been incredibly difficult not to breakdown and give him his Valentine's Day present this morning at breakfast. The only thing keeping her quiet was knowing Harm had to be at the office today, and she really wanted to spend time with him after they exchanged gifts.

Shifting the package up a little higher so it was propped against his pillow, Mac was ready to move it back down again, searching for the perfect spot to catch Harm's attention, when the door bell rang.

"Delivery for Mrs. Rabb," the soft-spoken young man announced after she'd opened the door.

Mac accepted the proffered flowers. "Just a minute." Placing them temporarily on the side table by the door, she rummaged through her purse and pulled out a coin. "Thank you." She handed the man a pound.

"Thank you, ma'am."

They were the most beautiful arrangement of red roses she had ever seen. Of course, she was probably a little biased, but the flowers simply took her breath away. The wonderful aroma had her senses tingling. When she placed the large vase on the center of the coffee table, she noticed the small card. 'A lifetime won't be long enough to show you how very much I love you.'

**London Headquarters  
Beth's desk**

"The restaurants are going to be jam packed tonight. I talked to Jack at Clachan's. He said he'd have two dinners waiting for me to pick up. If it's okay with you, I thought I'd bring them over to your place after work."

Beth hesitated a moment. After last night's conversation, she wasn't so sure she was up to another dinner visit. On the other hand, she wasn't so sure she wanted to be alone on Valentine's Day either.

"Sure."

For a split second he had been afraid she was going to say no, that he had pushed her too far last night.

"We can ride home together," she suggested.

"No, I have an errand to run first. I'll meet you at your place. About 1900?"

"Oh, well... I don't mind tagging along."

"Thank you, but that won't be necessary. It won't take me long. I'll feel better knowing you're getting some rest."

"If you're sure?" She wasn't certain if she should make something out of this or not. It wasn't unusual for them to accompany each other on errands after work, but she wasn't going to make a mountain out of a molehill.

"I'm sure." Nodding his head at her, Gunny turned on his heel and headed back to work.

The rest of the day seemed to drag on forever. When Beth finally walked through her front door, she was delighted to simply drop in the nearest chair. She was actually tempted to go lay down in bed and take a quick nap, but Gunny would be here in less than an hour and she didn't want him to find her all groggy. Clicking on the TV, she leaned back in the chair, closing her eyes. A little catnap wouldn't hurt.

Gunny shifted the dinner bag to his other hand and knocked on the door.

It took Beth a few minutes to react to the sound. Opening the door, she took a deep whiff. "Mm, smells wonderful. Corned beef and cabbage?"

"With Irish soda bread." Gunny carried the bag over to the kitchen. "I've also got something else." He turned back towards the door.

Beth watched closely as he opened the door, stepped outside, and then backed into the apartment pulling a large bulky item in front of him. It wasn't till he cleared the doorway and moved around to push the door closed that she realized he'd dragged in a chair.

"What is this? I mean I know what it is, but why?" She was very confused.

"Consider this my first act as a godfather. You'll need a comfortable chair when the baby comes. This is a rocker recliner. When you're tired, you can put your feet up, and when the baby is tired, you can rock him to sleep. Not to mention it should come in handy now after long days at work."

"How did you get it up here?" She was still stunned at this large piece of furniture sitting by her front door.

"Blair came with me. I wanted you to have it today."

"Gunny..." She took a deep breath. "I can't..."

"Beth, Please. I want you to have it." Gunny looked at her hopefully.

"Oh, Gunny," she sighed again.

"Here." Gunny dragged the chair across the small apartment. Moving the couch over a bit, he maneuvered the chair into the corner by the window. "See? You can read by the light from the window, or watch TV, or just relax after a hard day. Come try it out. Sort of a test drive."

Beth couldn't resist the small smile. It did look awfully comfy. Slowly she made her away across the room. Easing into the large chair, she could tell immediately this was going to make a huge difference in her life. Before she realized it, she had pushed the chair back and was reclining comfortably with her feet up and her eyes closed.

Gunny watched her reaction as she sat down. Briefly her hands caressed the soft padding on the arms of the seat before she pulled the lever and pushed the chair into a reclining position. A wave of softness washed over her expression as she molded into the comfort, closing her eyes, and letting out a barely audible sigh of approval.

"You rest a little while, I'll go warm up dinner. Be right back."

Beth opened one eye, watching Gunny grin and turn around towards the kitchen. "Gunny."

"Yeah?" He looked back at her.

"Thank you." Closing her eyes, a smile tugged at one side of her mouth. Godfather.

**Rabb Flat**

"The table looks lovely." Harm scanned the room. Mac had outdone herself. Everything was absolutely perfect.

"I told you it would be nicer to stay home than fight the restaurant crowds."

"I didn't doubt your wisdom for a moment." Harm wrapped his arms loosely around his wife's waist as she stood over the sink slicing the last bit of cucumber for the salad. "I just didn't want to make you work today."

"I wouldn't call baking a little salmon 'work'." Mac tossed the last of the cucumber into the bowl and turned around to face Harm. "Shall I put the salmon in the oven, or do you want to see what I got you first?"

Harm leaned forward and lightly kissed Mac on the lips. "Actually, I'd like to see you open your gift first." His hand slid around catching hers. Leading the way to the living room, he picked up his briefcase and sat down beside Mac on the sofa.

She watched closely as he pulled the small box from an interior zippered pouch, then set the bag on the floor by his feet.

"Remind me later to tell you the minstrel story that goes with this." Harm held the neatly wrapped package out to her.

"Minstrels as in the men in your office yesterday?"

"Those would be the ones," he smiled, watching her carefully peel apart the corners of the wrapping paper.

"Oh, Harm." She stared at the delicate trinket, before pinching the clasp and opening the locket to expose the two small photos. "Ohhh..." she batted back the tiny droplets of water that threatened to fall.

"I'd hoped you'd like it."

"Oh, Harm. It's beautiful." She flung herself at him, snaking her arms around his neck and drawing him into a tight clench.

"I love you," he whispered into her hair.


	3. Chapter 11 the end

**Love is in the Air **

**Chapter 11**

Mac let her hands slowly wind down away from his neck and down his chest. "Your gift is on the bed."

Harm raised one suggestive brow. Mac chuckled, sliding her hand down along his arm and catching his hand in hers, she tugged at him to follow her.

He looked a moment at the flat package wrapped in bright paper. It was too thin to be lingerie, too square to be anything ... playful, or at least he thought it was.

"Are you going to analyze it to death with that x-ray vision of yours or are you going to open it?" Mac teased, nudging him towards the bed.

He moved closer to the bed with about as much gusto as a member of the bomb squad approaching an unknown apparatus. "I promise it won't bite," she smiled.

Giving her hand a gentle squeeze, he smiled back at her, let go of her hand, and sat down to examine the gift more closely. Untying the ribbon, Harm pulled out the smaller narrow box taped to the larger package and began pulling at the bow.

"Uh-uh. Open the other one first."

Staring at her curiously for a moment, he nodded and set the smaller thin box on the bed, then returned his attention to the gift Mac wanted him to unwrap first. Slipping his finger under the taped flap, he ripped the topside open. "I'm not as good at this as you." Mac opened every gift with careful determination, dragging out every possible second of anticipation, and saving every piece of paper. He, on the other hand, grinning madly, gripped the now loose section of paper and tore it completely away from the package.

It took him a few seconds to recognize the faces staring back at him. "Oh, Mac. This is... wonderful." He ran his finger over the first photo of he and his parents in the upper left-hand corner. As his eyes followed a trail from photo to photo, he swallowed back the lump in his throat.

Mac took a few steps closer and sat down beside him. "I had a hard time deciding on the photos, there were so many. Do you like it?"

"Oh, I really do." Pulling the rest of the paper away he noticed for the first time how beautiful the frame was. "This is magnificent. Absolutely magnificent."

"I thought we could hang it by your desk in the den. You know, when you're working late." Mac hadn't realized she was nibbling on her lower lip, nervously waiting for his reaction.

"That's a great idea." His voice came out low, and quiet, almost reverent. "This is perfect, Mac. Thank you." He leaned over, his lips barely touching hers with a tender gesture of love and thankfulness. There was no resisting the urge to scan over the treasured memories again. His eyes were drawn to each photograph over and over.

"Our life looks so simple this way." His finger rested on the Harrods bear. "What's this?"

"I cut it out from a Harrods ad."

"Why?"

"I thought you might want to choose the picture that goes in the last frame."

"Oh." He looked back at the frame, still not sure why she hadn't chosen the last photo herself, she'd done a wonderful job with all the others, or why she'd used a Harrods' teddy bear.

Mac waited a few moments as he processed the meaning of everything before him. "Are you going to open the other gift?"

He'd been so engrossed in the memories and emotions brought to life in the two-dimensional layout he held before him, he'd completely forgotten about the smaller package. Setting the frame down carefully, he pulled the wrapping away from the second box. Opening the lid, he stared at the narrow plastic pen.

Watching him take the plastic tester out of the box and study it with confused determination, Mac knew the moment he realized what he was holding.

"Is this..." he stammered, suddenly recognizing what the blue lines meant on this rather odd pen.

"Mm hmm," she nodded.

He glanced back at the plastic stick, then up at her. "Really?"

"Really," she nodded again.

"When?"

"When what?"

"When did it happen?"

Mac chuckled quietly. "Well, I can't be sure of the exact moment, but the doctor says I'm due around October 27th."

Harm was totally stunned. "Wow, a baby." He shook his head slowly, staring at the plastic stick. "A baby in October," he repeated quietly, then practically shouted, "A baby in October."

Before she had a chance to brace herself, Harm had stood up, pulled Mac into his arms and was spinning her wildly around the room.

"HEY!" she laughed loudly.

"Oh, Mac, I'm sorry. Did I make you dizzy? Hurt you? The baby?" He pulled away, loosening his hold on her, making sure she was steady on her feet.

"No, I'm fine," she laughed again. "I just like breathing."

"Oh, Mac. We did it!" He pulled her into another hug, this time not quite as forceful, but just as emotional.

"We did, didn't we?" she murmured into his neck. "I love you."

Pulling away to look into her eyes, his lips moved close to hers. "I love you too."


End file.
